The Theology Of Pastoral Care

Through ordination, priests are called by the Church to care for the Christian Community. A pastor is obligated to preach the scriptures of the Lord in its completeness. His responsibility is to ensure that every Christian under his care is taught the truthfulness of what they trust in. He is to do this by delivering a sermon on Sundays and on days set aside to observe certain Christian feasts and by delivering Christian education through catechesis (Cann. 528). In his promotion of social justice, he is to be led by the essence of the Gospel. A pastor has to pay special attention to the guidance of the youth and he has to make sure that they are well versed in the teachings of the Christian faith.

It is the pastor`s duty to collaborate with the lay faithful so that both parties ensure that the Gospel truth reaches those who have stopped practicing their creed, those who have stopped professing what they believe in and those who have broken away from the Church (Cann. 529). To make sure that the diligence of his office is fulfilled, a priest has to make sure that he knows the flock that has been placed under his guidance. He is to do this by spending time with the lay faithful so that he can be in a position to assist them in carrying the crosses and later strengthen them in their faith in Jesus Christ.

There are three fundamental scriptures in the Bible that give an overview of what religious leaders should be doing as shepherds of God`s flock: Acts 6:1–7, Ephesians 4:11–13, and 1 Peter 5:1–4.

1 Peter 5:1–4 reads as follows :

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

There is a uniqueness in this scripture, it is one of the few scriptures apart from Acts 20:28 where elders are instructed to carry out a duty. Peter uses three different nouns to refer to spiritual directors.

• The first word Peter used is “Elders” – the word in Greek terminology is presbuteroi. The name “Presbyterian” is derived from presbuteroi. The term denotes an aged person with a certain level of insight who assumes a position of guidance. Spiritual directors should be people with much insight and their character should resemble that of Christ.
• The other word Peter used to refer to spiritual directors is “Overseers” – the word in Greek terminology is episcopos. The name “Episcopalian” is derived from episcopos. This word`s exact meaning is “oversight.” Spiritual directors should oversee everything within the church. Their duty is not to give orders their responsibility is to be of guidance.
• The last word Peter uses in referring to spiritual directors is “Shepherd” – the word in Greek terminology is poimen. This word`s exact meaning is “shepherd.” Peter uses this last word as an instruction – instructing the spiritual directors to attend to their flock.

These scriptures seek to remind religious leaders that their primary duty is to be shepherds. The duties of religious leaders may include decision-making, policymaking, property management, and taking care of the ecclesiastical finances but the essence of their calling is taking care of the flock that is under their care; the flock being the lay faithful.

The second scripture that sheds light on the duty of spiritual leaders comes from Ephesians 4:11–13:

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

The scripture mentions that God in Christ made provision for everyone to accept the truth that is needed to conduct a truthful life right. Certain people were given spiritual gifts by God to lead in important roles within the Church. The spiritual gifts are to be used to guard the flock.

Ephesians 4:11–13 helps spiritual leaders to use their time effectively. Firstly, it puts emphasis on the necessity for shepherds to prepare their minds, bodies, and souls to be of services to the people. For it takes a lot of mental energy, emotional intelligence, and commitment to be of services to different kinds of people. Secondly, the scripture highlights the role of the laity and the clergy in building Christ`s body. Both the clergy and the laity need each other; one has to be of service to the other, there is no master or slave. In being of service to each other the laity and the clergy carry out the Church`s full mission.

In 1 Timothy 3:2, Timothy writes that spiritual leaders (elders) should know how to teach. Timothy indicates that the scriptures should be taught in a skillful and redeeming manner; this type of teaching should bring the laity closer to God and reunite them with Christ. According to Acts 20:20, the Prayer and Word ministry is a combination of the interactive ministry of the Scriptures (person-to-person interactions) and a shared ministry of the Scriptures (catechism and preaching). Paul imparted knowledge in places of worship and took the Word to people in their homes. A spiritual leader has to do as Paul did. Without the interactive ministry of Scriptures, the shared ministry of Scriptures is not complete and vice versa.

Some priests are good at evangelizing and others are good at person-to-person interactions or dialogues, but for a person to be an “overseer” he has to possess both abilities. This means that a person must have the ability to reason beyond theology and doctrine, and go beyond just protecting the Scriptures – he must do in-depth teaching of those scriptures. In his teachings, a spiritual director must not alter the essence of any scripture, he has to deliver the Gospel as it is.

Apart from a good teacher, a spiritual leader should also have a good manner of delivering messages from the scriptures to the people. Leaders should talk to their flock in a redeeming manner so that these sheep can be able to withstand the challenges of life. Lastly, a good shepherd should teach his flock how to pray just like Jesus the Great Shepherd taught the Apostles, His flock how to pray to the Father in Heaven in Luke 11:1-28. It is the spiritual leader`s duty to teach the laity that prayer is a spiritual conversation with God, it is not a session where a person briefs God about their problems.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 reads as follows,

Give praise to God as the Father of the Savior Jesus Christ – He comforts those who are afflicted so that the afflicted can comfort others with the same comfort that God has comforted them with. Spiritual directors are called to comfort.”

In this passage spiritual leaders are told to have an attitude like that of Christ; they have to abandon the fortresses that they hide themselves in, be in touch with reality and face the persistent pain that they might encounter along the journey of life in their ministries. Theirs is to seek abundant consolation in Jesus Christ who died for all humanity so that they can be able to console those who seek to be consoled with the same consolation they have received from Jesus Christ. This is the depiction of a wounded healer; he shares in the grief and distress of his flock.

In his book titled ‘The Wounded Healer’, Fr. Henri Nouwen, a Dutch Catholic priest, theologian, professor, and writer, explains that hospitality is another form of pastoral care. He refers to Matthew 25:35-36, where Jesus says,

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Jesus did not separate Himself from the afflictions present in everyday life, He allowed Himself to feel and carry the pain of those who were suffering.

Another ministry that spiritual leaders have been called into is the ministry of reconciliation. As it is written in 2 Corinthians 5: 20-21, the clergy are ordained to be ambassadors of Christ, everything they do within their ministry is for the good of the Church and for the praise of God. Spiritual leaders are tasked to reconcile the laity back to God so that the redemption of humankind can continue. Just as Jesus Christ came to earth to redeem humankind, spiritual leaders have to do the same thing through their ministry.

Through the ministry of reconciliation, spiritual leaders are called into the apostolic ministry, they are following in footsteps of the apostles. When Christ ascended into Heaven He said to them in John 14:16-20 that He is leaving them in the counsel of the Holy Spirit; in everything, they do they should consult with the Holy Spirit. That is exactly what religious leaders should do, they should not use their human intelligence to lead the Church, they should seek counsel and comfort from the Holy Spirit who is the founder of the Church.

The Holy Spirit should be the rod and staff of every priest. In their manner of caring for the laity, spiritual directors should model Christ, in their words and leadership style. They should show through their deeds that Jesus Christ lives through them. This is the theology of pastoral care; if anyone is uncertain of how a priest should be shepherding his flock it is all written in the Bible. Pope Benedict XVI once said, “Become familiar with the Bible so that it can be your compass pointing out the road to follow.”